Next Premier?

[cowman]

To answer an earlier question: The only candidate I ever met was Morton. The boy knew him at the U of C.
I like his politics!...maybe slightly too left for me! LOL
If Morton won, I might consider voting PC. Otherwise it is Alliance!
Dinning is just too slick for me and I suspect he knows where his bread is buttered? Oberg kind of shot himself in the foot with the "Ralph thing"...and comes across as a bit of an airhead? Stelmach...who knows...he doesn't even look like he is running!
Actually I would have a real hard time voting for my present MLA anyway! He is about the most useless thing we ever got stuck with...a real dog!

[WRAPper]

Thanks for the reply cowman, hopefully you'll get the chance to meet one ot two more in your travels before this thing winds up, somehow I've met 3 of the candidates personally in various places over the last few years and plan on making it at least four before Nov. It really changes or in one case reinforces a persons viewpoint to just quietly pose a real different question at one of these people and see how they answer or react. I make a point to stay away from the usual whines like health care , infrastructure and education and try and ask about things like landowner property rights or agricultural visions. I know with everyones busy life it's so hard to make the time but I really do feel this new PC leader/premier will be pivotal to the future of Alberta. Ralph was OK but once his vision was fulfilled he just didn't have a gameplan. We can't run the way we have the last few years and hope to see the type of province I feel we could have in 10-15 years for our children.

[coppertop]

cowman, don't underestimate how hard Ed Stelmach is running ! Just because he doesn't have a dozen photographers taking shots of him with his arm around anyone that happens to cross his path, and communications people dropping off their own wordsmithed press releases at every local newspapers like some other candidates doesn't mean he isn't out meeting Albertans.
Mark Norris is also working very hard on the campaign trail, but he won't get much support outside of Edmonton.
Meeting with the average Albertan at local coffee shops, attending functions set up by various communities is much more important than having half a dozen MLA's setting up their preferred candidate with meetings in their constituency with a hand picked few.
You won't see a flashy show with Ed, but you will see a candidate that can talk about issues with you one on one or at the front of an auditorium full of people. When he was a cabinet minister he didn't have to ask half a dozen aides and deputies about issues when meeting with municipalities, he darn well knew what the issues were, who was in charge of getting them solved and what stage they were at on the road to being looked after.I was at a meeting two weeks ago where he was speaking, one gentleman had a question about a personal issue regarding an elderly family member, Ed had a room full of people to speak with but he took the time to have a private conversation with the fellow . Every Albertan is important to him.

I had coffee with several retired businessmen here yesterday, they have bought Green Party memberships but were going to vote in the PC Leadership election because they want to see the province with some guidance at the helm.

I had a call last week from one of the frontrunning candidates' campaign folks asking for donations, and asking if I would sell memberships for their MAN, the caller said I MAY even have an OPPORTUNITY to meet him in person if I got on the TEAM!!

[rook]

Thanks for the answer coppertop. I like preferential ballots because you only have to vote once but I suppose there is more drama and the media have more to cover with this system.

[coppertop]

rook the main thing is that people take advantage of the opportunity to vote.

[cropduster]

Anyone heard who has sold the most memberships???The rumour here is it`s TED.......

[coppertop]

That would be a difficult feat, because the party has not released membership books to the candidates as of yet. Any memberships obtained to date have been from constituency associations.
I attended an all Candidates Forum last week, and in order to get in the door you had to have a current membership, anyone requiring one that particular evening had to purchase one from the local constituency association who were the organizers of the forum. The MLA for that constituency has endorsed a particular candidate but there certainly were supporters of several other candidates buying memberships in order to attend the forum.
The signatures on the nomination papers are going to be very interesting. One candidate had 275 people sign his papers at one single function last week, and potentially each of the signatories will sell memberships.

Things will get more interesting each day. Our community is going to be treated to two candidates this week, and so it goes until the winner is chosen !!

[WRAPper]

I had a thought while reading the posts that have been put here since the last time I posted. Something that appears to be missing in many peoples voting thoughts is the fact that despite we are in fact voting for the "next" premier we are also voting for the leader of the PC's and that leader needs to be able to lead the party and keep the MLA's together working for the betterment of the party and well as their visions for the province. Is this something people are forgetting in this race or am I mistaken?

[coppertop]

WRAPper, the best guess is that at least 50 % of the voters in this leadership will be buying a party membership for the first time, and many will not keep their membership current until its time to select another leader, or they have a nomination race in their own constituency.


There will no doubt be division in the party at the end of this contest, but a good strong leader that has the interest of the party and Albertans at heart will bring the party together. That certainly the voters some serious issues to consider.
It will take a statesman, one that has a history of working co-operatively and leading by example, and it will take the committment to co-operation and solidarity by all the other candidates after the leader has been chosen.

[cowman]

If you remember back to the days when Klein was running for leader, you might remember there was quite a division in support? I'm sure some "instant Conservatives" left the party when Betkowski lost? The fact is Klein came in with a vision and he stuck to it...at least for awhile!
I guess I would be considered an "instant Conservative" in that if Morton didn't get the nod, I'd go back to an Alliance candidate. Actually I'd have a real hard time voting for my current MLA as I believe he is nothing short of an oppotunistic scoundrel!

[coppertop]

cowman, I really doubt if Morton will get the nod. He attracts the far right. Any use I had for him went out the window when he decided he needed to have $1500 a plate fund raisers in BC.

[ivbinconned]

Copper is kind of red...right?

Liberals are always scared of the "far right"...yet here, as usual...refuse to define it!

[cowman]

I will admit I like politicians who advocate smaller government, a return to morals, tough on crime and MOST importantly standing up for our rights against the thieves in Ottawa!
As near as I know Morton does that better than any other candidate?
I don't want another slick talker who promises us good times while cutting deals in the back room!
If this oil and gas boom ever goes in the tank I want a man who can deal with that?
I think Ralph tried but had trouble with all the spendthrifts in his government and the general attitude of many of the voters? I mean in reality, when he tried to introduce some reform to a runaway health care system, every man and his dog set up a howl! The fact is if someone doesn't get some of these "government services" under control...we won't be able to afford them? How much of government revenue is spent on healthcare and education in this province? Where does it end?
Talk about the tail wagging the dog!

[wilagro]

Well cowman, you stick with Morton but I will go with Ed Stelmach. Not flashy, but apparently honest and capable. We don't need some radical running this province...and we definitely don't need some hard drinking, gambling twit either.

About time we had some sensible leadership similar to what Lougheed brought when he first came to power.

[coppertop]

wilagro, cowman etc. Ted Morton is a very smart man but his appeal is mainly to the hard liners who want to see us in a battle with Ottawa, and I, for one, don't think that will be very productive. We don't need to fire the first volley in any territorial battle, we need to work with the feds., and quit shoving our wealth down the noses of eastern Canada.

Wilagro, glad you are supporting Ed. He is a very honest man, and his record speaks for itself. He has conducted himself with integrity through a 20 year political career which includes serving as a county councillor, hospital and school board member etc. before he was elected as an MLA.

Last week at a function in Vegreville there was such a crowd ( 440 people) that the organizers had to go to other venues in the community to bring in more chairs. Of course, that is his home community, but it certainly says a lot about the man. One of his opponents in the race doesn't even live in his home constituency !!

I encourage anyone interested in supporting a particular candidate to try and attend one of the upcoming all candidates forums, there will be at least 8 across the province. It is interesting to watch the dynamics of the candidates and their supporters at these forums. One thing for sure, with Ed you will not get a lot of flash and flair, just common sense, down to earth honesty and committment to Albertans.